Rand Corporation Headquarters
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01.Commrcl.out.qxd 9/26/07 7:50 PM Page 24 01.Commrcl.out.qxd 9/26/07 7:50 PM Page 25 RAND CORPORATION HEADQUARTERS Santa Monica, California For nearly 60 years, the RAND Corporation had occupied about one-third of Santa Monica’s 45-acre (18 Development Team ha) civic center district, a prominent site adjacent to the city’s business and government centers, served Owner by a variety of regional transportation options, and on the land side of the coastal highway. Its head- The RAND Corporation quarters building at 1700 Main Street had grown over the years to include two primary buildings as well Santa Monica, California as several modular ad hoc structures. But by the mid-1980s, RAND’s need for more space and the city’s www.rand.org vision of a revitalized civic district incorporating affordable and market-rate housing, neighborhood re- Architect tail, and new public parks had begun to converge. In 1989, the two parties began to explore innovative ways to meet their convergent needs. Following DMJM Design Los Angeles, California a process that included extensive interaction with the public and a citywide vote, it was agreed that RAND www.dmjmhn.aecom.com would retain a 3.7-acre (1.5 ha) parcel for a new headquarters building and sell the bulk of its property to the Santa Monica Redevelopment Agency. In late 1999, RAND sold 11.7 acres (4.7 ha) to the agency for Landscape Architect $53 million, with the proviso that it could occupy its old building for up to six more years. In October Mia Lehrer & Associates 2000, following a yearlong entitlement process, a development agreement for RAND’s new headquarters Los Angeles, California was approved. Construction began in July 2002, occupancy commenced in October 2004, and the old www.mlagreen.com headquarters building was demolished—and the land turned over to the municipal agency—in 2007. Despite RAND’s longstanding vision of a sprawling, green campus by the sea, economic and func- tional realities required settling on a single, vertical building. Architect DMJM Design worked with RAND—through forums and workshops, committees, interviews, focus groups, online surveys, charrettes, and visits to other facilities—to engage its staff in the planning and design process, and then distilled the various requirements and suggestions into a coherent plan. The five-story building contains nearly 700 private offices, 70 percent of which have windows, and 400 workstations. Two large interior courtyards provide secure, private outdoor spaces that are used for corporate meetings and informal gatherings. Broad hallways and activity zones on each floor facilitate interaction while keeping workspaces quiet. Sustainable building practices were a high priority for RAND, as they would reinforce the corpora- tion’s commitment to the conservation of institutional, client, and natural resources. Vertical panels and horizontal ledges on the exterior provide shade and protection from glare. Coated glazing reduces heat gain. Operable windows and an underfloor ventilation system enable workers to take advantage of the location’s ocean breezes and moderate temperatures. Efficient lighting, occupancy sensors, and the use WINNER · COMMERCIAL 25 01.Commrcl.out.qxd 9/26/07 7:51 PM Page 26 Project Data of recycled and low-VOC materials all contribute to the facility’s sustainability. A dual plumbing system Website enables use of the city’s reclaimed-water system for sewage disposal, some irrigation, and other nonpotable water needs. Drought-tolerant plantings are used in the landscape, and coastal redwood trees, which are www.rand.org expected to grow to 60 or 70 feet (18 or 21 m) within 15 years, have been planted to provide additional Site Area sun screening. The building received a LEED Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. 3.7 acres (1.5 ha) “The new RAND Corporation headquarters embodies our emphasis on intellectual creativity and col- laboration, conservation of client and natural resources, and adaptability,” says RAND Corporation pres- Facilities ident and CEO James A. Thomson. “Being recognized for a high-performance green building, outstand- 5 floors above ground ing architectural design, and visionary urban planning in partnership with the city of Santa Monica 310,000 sf (28,800 m2) office demonstrates our commitment to excellence in all we do.” 825 parking spaces The downsizing of corporate headquarters did not impair two hallmarks of RAND’s corporate cul- ture—highly classified security and collegiality grounded in the academic background of the professional Land Uses staff—although these are now supported in different ways. When RAND occupied 15 acres, a physical Office, structured parking buffer zone promoted security, while numerous leftover, unplanned interior and exterior spaces encour- Start/Completion Dates aged knowledge-sharing. Now RAND’s culture of security is promoted by an inward turning of the build- ing—designed for both energy-conservation and security reasons—while higher office densities and pur- 1998–October 2004 posely designed spaces continue to support networking among researchers and analysts. RAND’s new headquarters building sets the stage and provides a model for further development of the city’s civic center district. In addition to RAND’s world headquarters, the planned district will include three government buildings (including two historic structures and a Silver LEED–certified building); a Gold LEED–certified public parking structure; a publicly owned performing arts and exhibit center; 325 housing units, half of which will be affordable to low-income households, and all of which the city in- tends to be LEED-certified; a five-acre (2 ha) park; an early childhood lab school; and about 12 acres (5 ha) of public open space. 26 COMMERCIAL · WINNER 01.Commrcl.out.qxd 9/26/07 7:51 PM Page 27 Jury Statement By downsizing its corporate campus, the RAND Corporation afforded the city of Santa Monica room to expand its civic center. Its new LEED-certified headquarters building reflects the elite think tank’s image as a cutting- edge research organization while retaining the two most hallowed aspects of its corporate culture: highly classified security and the collegial- ity shared by the academic and pro- fessional staff. 27.